Amphibian



J. M. HAIT AMPHIBIAN Filed Sept; 20, 1944 Aug. 20, 1946.

2 Sheats-Sheet l a an m J. M. HAIT AMPHIBIAN Filed Sept. 20, 1944 Aug. 20, 1946.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u A wfl \i fi Cr c Kw Ck! Q Patented Aug. 20, 1946 AMPHIBIAN James M. Hait, San Gabriel, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application September 20, 1944, Serial No. 554,989

This invention relates to amphibians and is particularly useful in amphibians for carrying assault forces ashore in amphibious military operations.

t is an object of this invention to provide an amphibian having a novel auxiliary propulsion device.

While the invention may be used with various types of amphibians, it is especiall adaptable for use with the tractor type amphibian in which track laying mechanisms on opposite sides of the hull are employed for supporting and propelling the craft on land and which have heretofore been depended on for driving the craft in water.

When going ashore in amphibious landing operations, the progress of the amphibian is often obstructed by reefs or by artificial obstacle located beneath and close to the surface of the water. When the track laying mechanisms of tractor amphibians are depended upon for propulsion in the water, the tracks thereof areoperated at relatively high speed and when these strike reefs or other solid obstacles under the water, considerable damage 'is done to the tracks before they can be slowed down to a suitable speed for lifting the amphibian over the obstacle.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an amphibian of the tractor type having an auxiliary propulsion means which transmits into thrust a sufiicient portion of th power of the amphibian motor that the tracks which support the amphibian on land need not be relied upon for propulsion of the craft in water and can be run at a relatively slow speed while the craft is traveling in water.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an amphibian in which no special attention need be paid by the pilot to the auxiliary propulsion device of the invention for such device to come into operation when the amphibian goes from land into the water or from the water on to the land.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a tractor type amphibian with an auxiliary propulsion device including propulsion units on opposite sides of the craft, each of which is driven in conjunction with one of the track laying mechanisms.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoingobjects as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention with a certain portion thereof 4 Claims. (Cl. 115-1) 2 broken away and shown in section as indicated by the line l-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1 taken in the direction of the arrow 2.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view of the forward sprocket drive and propeller power takeoff mechanism, this view being taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. 1

Fig.4 isan enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one of the auxiliary propulsion units of the invention and is taken on the line 44 of Fig, 2.

Referring specificall to the drawings, an amphibian 10 shown therein includes a hull ll having a bottom I2, sides [3, a curved bow plate l4, and a stern gate l5. Provided in the hull is a pilots compartment to, while mounted on opposite hull sides l3 are pontoons I! on each of which is mounted a track laying mechanism I8.

Each pontoon l! is preferably hollow, the inner wall thereof being formed by the adjacent side 13 of the amphibian, the pontoon also having an outside wall 25, a bottom wall 26 and a top wall 21.

Each track laying mechanism I8 may be described as including a pairv of idlers 30 mounted on the pontoon top wall vZfl, a series of bogie wheels 3| which are mounted in any suitable manner onthe bottom wall 26 of the pontoon H and a double idle sprocket 32 which is mounted on the rear end of the pontoon l1 and which is adjustable by the operation of a jack 33 for a purpose to be made clear hereinafter.

The mechanism l8 also includes a double drive sprocket 34 having a shaft 35 which is journaled in a gear box 36, the latter being mounted on the bow end of the adjacent pontoon ll. Also journaled in the gear box 36 are shafts 31 and 38 which are parallel with shaft 35 and have gears 39 and 40 which mesh with each other, the gear 39 also meshing with a gear 4| on the sprocket shaft 35, The shafts 38 of the two mechanisms [8 are selectively driven through drive rods 42 and 43 from a gear box 44 which is supplied with power from an engine 45.

The track laying mechanism being described also includesan endless track 56 whichmay be of any suitable flexible construction and which is generally equipped with grousers to give good traction on the ground when the amphibian I0 is traveling on land and to engage the water when it is afloat so that operation of the mechanisms l8 will propel the amphibian through the water. Track i trained about the idlers 30, bogie wheels 3i and idle and drive sprockets 32 and 34, as shown in Fig. 2 and is tightened or loosened by operation of the jack 33.

Embodied with each pontoon I! is a propeller;

unit 5| comprising a water passage forming conduit' 52 having an intake opening 53 formed in the outer pontoon wall and a water outlet the admission of large obstacles intothe conduit 52; Mounted in the walls of the conduit 52 are .10

bearings 60 and 6|, these bearings being connected by a tube 62 enclosin a shaft 63 which journals in said bearings. Mounted on the rear end of said shaft is a water propeller.65.. Fixed v on the front end of the shaft 63 is a universal joint 66. v 7

Provided on the shaft 38 in the gear box 36 is a bevel gear 61 which meshes with a pinion 68 on the inner end of a shaft 69 which journals in suitable bearings provided on the gear box 36.

This shaft has a gear 15 which is freely rotatable thereon and a clutch l6 splined on the shaft 69 v and controlled by a yoke 'l'l so as to connect the gear 15 to the'shait 69 or disengage such connection at will. I f

Gear 'l5 meshes with a pinion gear 80 (see Fig. 1) which connectsthrough drive rods 8| and 82 with the universal joint'fifi .of the propeller shaft 63. Thus, with the clutch "16 connected, the propeller 65 is rotated whenever the sprocket 34 is driven and at a speed in direct proportion to the speed of this sprocket. V ,.The amphibian ID has carg floor 85 which is disposed above and covers the conduits 52.

Operation While in practice, the clutche is controlling drive'of these propellers is so geared,.however,.

that as soon as the amphibian is afloat, the pro- In View of the fact that each propeller 65 is driven conjointly with the track mechanism with which it is mounted, the method by which the operator steers the amphibian ID is no different from the method in common use in steering tractor amphibians. In this method the operator separately controls the track laying mechanisms IS on the starboard and port sides'of the craft, the mechanism on the inside of the turn being slowed up' and that on the outside of the-turn speeded up to steer the craft to port or starboard.

What I claim is z 1. In a track laying amphibian the combination of: a hull for supporting the craft in water;

tively driving said mechanisms; and means for driving the starboard propeller conjointly with the starboard mechanism and the port propeller conjointly with the port mechanism.

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which the water intake openings for said propeller passages are formed in the outer walls of said pontoons and in which the dischargeopenings for each of said passages extend inwardly, downwardly and rearwardly.

3. In a'track laying amphibian the combination of: a hull; starboard and port track laying mechanisms mounted on opposite sides of said hull, each of said mechanisms including an endless track and means about which said track is trained and by which said track is driven; propellers, one of which is mounted within the space mechanism within which it is mounted.

pellers 65 will absorb so much power and will producesuch a thrust as will permit the amphibian to maintain its maximum speed while run-- ning the track laying mechanisms l8 at a relatively slow rate. The advantage of having the tracks traveling at a fairly slowrate while the amphibian is moving through water, is evident in light of the remarks at the opening of the specification.

Obstacles such as reefs, rocks, wrecks, tank 1 traps, and the like which may be encountered just 4. In a track laying amphibian the combination of: a hull; starboard and port'track laying mechanisms provided on opposite sides of said,

means for each of said sprockets with the propeller on thatside of the amphibian to causesaid propeller to be driven sothat selective driving of said sprockets will selectively drive said propellers thus contributing, when the craft is afloat,

to the steering thereof.

JAMES M. HAIT. 

